The present invention relates generally to telecommunications systems and more particularly to transaction billing for special service telephone numbers.
Enhanced call services provide added services, such as call routing, voice mail services, paging services, facsimile services and interactive voice services, that are not available with conventional telephone services. Enhanced call services are generally provided within telecommunications networks via computer platforms. These computer platforms are located external from and independent of the switches that are in the telecommunications network to direct calls to their destinations. The computer platforms execute application computer programs that identify appropriate routing terminations for incoming calls. Service control points (SCPs) or data access points (DAPs) are examples of computer platforms that provide enhanced call services. The DAPs are found, for example, in the long distance telephone network of MCI Communications Corporation.
Enhanced call services may be provided for call centers. Call centers are facilities that provide support or sales services. Typically, a call center includes a number of operator stations that are manned by human operators to answer incoming calls on. The operators may not only field calls but may also initiate calls to perform support, sales or other functions. Call centers may employ automated call processing of incoming calls. Call centers may use advanced calling features and services such as intelligent routing, fax on demand or network queuing.
One example of a computer platform that provides enhanced call services for call center customers is an intelligent call router (ICR). The ICR acts as a routing engine for calls which can provide more termination options based on external information (e.g. time of day, day of week, or call load of operator center) or internal information (e.g. area code of caller or caller entered digits) than the SCPs. The ICR is a computer platform that is discrete from the SCP and often is located remotely from the SCP. The ICR is a computer system, such as a mini-computer, with specialized software that provides call routing solutions more flexibly and more quickly than an SCP. During call processing, the SCP forwards a call processing query to the ICR to process a call that fulfills a predefined criteria (e.g. a call with a particular ANI value). The ICR processes the call processing query and returns the results (i.e. a routing termination) to the SCP. The SCP then provides the results to the appropriate switch to route the call accordingly.
One difficulty with the above-described conventional approach is that a substantial number of resources are used for the ICR to assist in call processing. Hence, call center customers who use ICRs are charged in order to help recover the cost of developing, building, and using the resources. The customers are billed on a flat-fee basis, such as a fixed dollar amount per month. Unfortunately, such a flat-fee approach results in inequities. For instance, a customer who conducts 10,000 transactions per month with the ICR is billed the same amount as a customer who conducts 100 transactions per month with the ICR.
The present invention addresses the limitations of the prior art by facilitating transaction billing. As a result, customers are charged on a per transaction or per use basis rather than on a flat fee basis that does not vary with use.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention a method is practiced in a telecommunications system that has a node, such as a service control point or DAP, for performing call processing on a call to a customer phone number. The telecommunications system also includes a remote computer platform for performing additional call processing on the call. In accordance with this method, a communication is sent from the node to the remote computer platform to perform additional call processing on the call. A charge is assessed for sending the communication and information regarding the charges is passed to the billing system so that the customer is billed for the charge.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method of processing a call for a customer is practiced in a telephone network. The telephone network includes an intelligent call router for routing calls and a database system for determining how to route calls. A call is received at the database system for further call processing. A query is generated and is sent to the intelligent call router. A charge is assessed to the customer for the query, and information is passed to the billing system so the customer is billed for charge.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a telecommunications system includes a node for receiving a call to a customer. A node includes a query generator for generating a query to determine how to route the call and a charge assessor for charging the customer for any queries generated by the query generator. The system additionally includes a remote computer platform for receiving queries from the node and for returning routing information to the node to route calls.A billing system is provided for billing the customers for calls. The billing system communicates with the nodes to charge the customer for charges assessed by the charges assessor.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of billing a client for a call is practiced in a network. The call is received at a service control point that requests routing information from a remote computer resource. A transaction is initiated wherein routing information is solicited from the remote computing resource. The client is billed for the transaction of soliciting the routing information.